It's just one of those things that I had to come here and rant about from my comfy arm chair, maybe because it's so close to home. How do you guys feel about the deportation?

I have tried, but am having a hard time sympathizing with Rivera and her supporters.

Quote:

My name is Kimberly Rivera. I joined the U.S. Army when I was 24. At the time, I thought the war in Iraq was a good thing. I thought it would make our country safer and bring democracy to Iraq.Once I was stationed in Iraq, I realized I had been lied to. I saw the true face of war: countless civilian casualties, and Iraqi children left devastated by loss and filled with fear. We were not bringing freedom to Iraq; we were bringing needless pain and suffering and death.

Seriously? You had to go out there to figure out that the war was absolute bull***t? Open your eyes, you were twenty freaking four when you signed up, not freaking fourteen. How dumb - for the lack of a better word - can you be? "A good thing"? "Freedom to Iraq"? And then, "I realized I had been lied to"? I don't think my entire neighborhood has enough palms to convey how epic that FAIL is. No one forced you - you weren't drafted like in Vietnam. You signed up willingly and you read your contract and knew the consequences if you ever decided not to abide by it.

I feel for the kids. I really do. But Ottawa isn't responsible for what will happen to them. Unfortunately, their own mother is. Don't sign up for something if you can't handle the heat. You joined the army, you pledged to murder innocent people, you contributed to the murder of innocent people and now you flee and expect Ottawa to save your sorry buttocks because you have kids? You did not "resist" the war, you fled like a coward. If you're so "conscientious", the right thing to do would have been to not sign up to begin with. You can't commit a humanitarian crime and then expect to be bailed out on humanitarian grounds.

As much as I try, I can't disagree with the deportation here. I wouldn't disagree if she were allowed to stay either, but I am having a hard time sympathizing. I also find it ridiculous that a killer of innocent people is being made to look like an international hero. It sucks that the kids have to suffer, it really does, but Rivera should have known better.

Well, many Americans are brain-washed by the meida and so called politicians, thus, have no or little knowledge about the outside world.

Once, George Bush was asked who was the acting prime minister of India? Not surprisingly, he failed to answer!

In that regards, I disagree with the deportation.

__________________> Start slow. Build a base. Then explode.
> I needed to perform so that I could give my countrymen an occasion to cherish and be proud of - Ice Man> My photographs @ flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/obayedh/

Originally Posted by kalpurush
Well, many Americans are brain-washed by the meida and so called politicians, thus, have no or little knowledge about the outside world.

Once, George Bush was asked who was the acting prime minister of India? Not surprisingly, he failed to answer!

In that regards, I disagree with the deportation.

Deport her sorry butt.

As for knowledge about outside world, Americans are mostly no different from rest of the world. Ask the same questions in the streets of Dhaka, as Leno does in his walkabouts, you'll get the same vacant stares and vacuous answers. Don't compare the masses to the the elite 1% who constitute the Internet using deshis.

While I don't know the background to this case, I would hardly be surprised if the vast majority of servicemen and women do genuinely believe in the government rhetoric. After all, they don't tend to be the sharpest in the toolkit.

No one forced you - you weren't drafted like in Vietnam. You signed up willingly and you read your contract and knew the consequences if you ever decided not to abide by it.
.

That's a good point, she wasn't drafted, I don't think female can be drafted. I think it's usually male of certain age - because i remember receiving letters saying I am part of some selective service list.. I wrote in bold letters "no english" and sent it back. Never heard back.

anyways, She is dodging call of duty. I know after being drafted, if you disobey and flee, it is a crime and you can be jailed. Notable case, casius clay better known as Mohammad Ali, refusing to go to vietnam.

This lady i guess would be discharged from military at worst?? without benefits. I am sure she signed up initially for some sort of benefits army provided. Is there is legal (not monetary) ramification?

anyways she is no news in US. I guess no body cares, US probably doesn't even want anyone dishonorable like that. Its up to you canadians....and remember CAD is stronger than USD now, ppl wanna live there .... canada wouldn't wanna open a flood gate...

It's just one of those things that I had to come here and rant about from my comfy arm chair, maybe because it's so close to home. How do you guys feel about the deportation?

I have tried, but am having a hard time sympathizing with Rivera and her supporters.

Seriously? You had to go out there to figure out that the war was absolute bull***t? Open your eyes, you were twenty freaking four when you signed up, not freaking fourteen. How dumb - for the lack of a better word - can you be? "A good thing"? "Freedom to Iraq"? And then, "I realized I had been lied to"? I don't think my entire neighborhood has enough palms to convey how epic that FAIL is. No one forced you - you weren't drafted like in Vietnam. You signed up willingly and you read your contract and knew the consequences if you ever decided not to abide by it.

I feel for the kids. I really do. But Ottawa isn't responsible for what will happen to them. Unfortunately, their own mother is. Don't sign up for something if you can't handle the heat. You joined the army, you pledged to murder innocent people, you contributed to the murder of innocent people and now you flee and expect Ottawa to save your sorry buttocks because you have kids? You did not "resist" the war, you fled like a coward. If you're so "conscientious", the right thing to do would have been to not sign up to begin with. You can't commit a humanitarian crime and then expect to be bailed out on humanitarian grounds.

As much as I try, I can't disagree with the deportation here. I wouldn't disagree if she were allowed to stay either, but I am having a hard time sympathizing. I also find it ridiculous that a killer of innocent people is being made to look like an international hero. It sucks that the kids have to suffer, it really does, but Rivera should have known better.

If she had a change of heart than she's an innocent victim of the endless propaganda machine. Hell I didn't know Saddam didn't have WMDs till we went in there and didn't find any. Its possible that Iran is NOT looking to make nukes, but I'm almost certain they are. But lets say 10 years from now we find out they were in fact not, its the endless Islamophobic propaganda from all sources (except MSNBC) that caused me to believe it otherwise.

Just look at BC, most of us think the average world muslim is more intolerant than the average (insert religion here)'s follower is. Is the average BCer stupid? No, its just that we've had the image of the bearded raghead with a C4 vest on so pervasively that when we look in the mirror thats the ONLY thing we see.

Its like the 8 yo black kid from the Queensbridge houses that thinks his only options to get anywhere in life is either to write rhymes, play ball, or sell bricks.

Its the education we get in America. Asif, you didn't go to school here (uni in US/Canada doesn't count), and by school I mean k-12 at a public government funded school. You get indoctrinated, some good things, some bad things. A friend of mine remarked that we have a "GI Joe" culture, and its true. After 1776 we had the war of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American war, the Cold War (Korea, Vietnam, etc), GW 1, GW 2, Afghan war, WOT. The 50 years from the turn of the century to the start of the Cold War was the only time in our history we attempted to follow a non-belligerant foreign policy (we got dragged into both WWs against our wishes). 240 years of history, 50 years of peace.

We learn of the horrors of slavery, and this is why most Americans aren't overtly racist anymore. But the only inspirational black person anyone hears about is Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, as if everybody can be the next ones. We never hear of GW Carver, or other prominent but everyday black people. So its little wonder that every black kid wants to be the next LeBron, and when that doesn't pan out resorts to selling drugs.

We learn about the Holocaust and Anne Frank and Elie Weisel, but we never heard about Palestinians and their struggle. In 1997, I remember I went to a cousin's house in Dhaka, and asked why he had the red and black Swastika flag on his wall. I asked how he could admire Hitler. He said "Don't Jews kill Muslims in Palestine?" I didn't say anything because I didn't know. I never heard about that. I was 14 years old and I was in the 8th grade, and although I was a terrible student, I did go to one of the best public schools in the country.

Originally Posted by iDumb
Asaad how is that long post of yours relevant here.. . You sound like politicians now.

If I sound like a politician , its because for the last 18 months we've had nothing but campaign news on the airwaves. Remember we're just a product of what gets beaten into us, day after day after day.